Is GP service in Haverhill at breaking point?

Urgent action is needed to tackle the drastic shortage of GPs in Haverhill, say residents and town councillors.

The town’s three surgeries – Stourview Medical Centre, Dr Selby and Partners, and the combined Christmas Maltings and Clements Surgery – have a total of 18 doctors between them, according to figures supplied by the practices, not including locums.

The possibility of a merger between Stourview Medical Practice and Dr Selby and Partners has sparked fears about how the already stretched service is going to cope.

At a full meeting of Haverhill Town Council on Tuesday, the public called for councillors’ help in getting a better service.

Speaking at the meeting, local resident Mary Dunning said: “I am wondering what the town council is going to do to safeguard the patients who use this service.

“In the 21st century we are now having to plan our illnesses. This is how stupid it has got.”

Rachel Mack, practice manager at Stourview told the Weekly News last week that they are in discussions with Dr Selby’s practice over a “probable merge”.

She said: “The most important thing is that the surgery is not closing. We have discussed a probable merge and that is as far as we have got.

“We had not released anything to our patients because we wanted to wait until we had all of the facts.”

Patients will be updated on the situation as soon as details are available, Mrs Mack added.

Cllr Betty McLatchy told the meeting she has been in communication with West Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) over the possible merger.

The organisation is fighting it, she said. She understood it had been suggested because there is now only one doctor at Stourview and he is “overloaded” with patients, she added.

“It is a national problem – there are no new doctors coming forward,” she said.

Edel Pinnock and Sue Jennings, both of Haverhill, also spoke at the meeting to criticise the GP services in the town.

Mr Pinnock, of Coupals Road, said: “I wait a month to see a doctor and it’s outrageous – it should not happen.

“The council needs to do something with the residents to demonstrate and put pressure on, and changes should be made. Patients should be able to access their doctors.”

Cllr Roger André, town mayor, reassured the public that the town council would be pursuing the matter “urgently” with a number of councillors already asking questions and working with “different bodies”.

Cllr Maureen Byrne, deputy mayor, said that they, and the public, need to start “doing things differently” in order to get a response.

She said: “If this means demonstrating outside every doctors’ surgery and demanding health care we will. It is not the doctors’ faults – it is those who provide the care. We need to be visible.”

Matthew Hancock, MP for West Suffolk, said he will do all he can to improve the town’s health service – including fighting for ECG and X-ray machines.

“I have taken it up with the health secretary himself, and he has assured me that a solution will be found,” he said. “I am also engaging with the local practices, the CCG and the NHS England Area Team. Haverhill is an up and coming town and the patients deserve the best possible care.”

A spokeswoman for NHS England confirmed that a request for the two surgeries to merge was received in May from the practices.

She added: “Following due process, approval in principle has been given for the merger subject to the practices undertaking consultation with patients and other key stakeholders.”

The merger is supported by the NHS England East Anglia team, to provide “future sustainability” and “continuity of care” for patients, she said.